With a few reported deaths due to the spread of swine flu in Rajasthan, panic has gripped the populace. People in general and school children in particular are being made aware of the safety precautions to mitigate the spread of the disease. According to WHO, if precautions are not taken, the danger of the global outbreak of the disease increases.

It is pertinent to note that swine flu
is just an influenza A H1N1 virus, which now has components of pig
and bird influenza viruses to which humans hardly have any immunity
to it. Therefore, it is all the more important to stop it from
becoming a pandemic virus to lead to global outbreak since could
easily spread from person-to-person travelling from place to place.

In
Focus

The precautions to be taken are the
avoidance of crowded places; usage of medicated facemask; distancing
oneself from sneezing people; and frequent use of a sanitizer to
clean hands after visiting public places. Moreover, one should
consult a doctor immediately if fever, cough and cold persist despite
common medicines.

Keeping the foregoing in view, there is
a need to stress and follow the safety measures to mitigate the
spread of the disease.